Financial Crime World

Organized Crime in Grenada: An Overview

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Grenada, a small island nation in the Caribbean, has been grappling with organized crime for several years. This report provides an in-depth look at the current state of organized crime in Grenada, highlighting key trends, actors, and challenges.

Cocaine and Cannabis Trafficking

  • Cocaine-smuggling attempts have decreased in recent years, but the quantity carried in each shipment has increased.
  • This trend indicates a shift towards more sophisticated smuggling operations, which are harder to detect and disrupt.

Cannabis Trafficking

  • Grenada is a source, transit, and destination country for cannabis, controlled by independent criminal structures of local gangs.
  • These gangs have established links with other loose criminal networks in Guyana, Venezuela, and St Vincent, who supply them with cannabis and cocaine for onward distribution to Europe and the US.

Criminal Actors

Lack of Mafia-Style Groups

  • There are no mafia-style groups operating in Grenada, but loose criminal networks of gangs dominate micro-trafficking and petty crime.
  • These gangs have a presence in urban areas, particularly in St George’s, the capital city.
  • Grenadian gangs have links to other loose criminal networks in Guyana, Venezuela, and St Vincent, who supply them with cannabis and cocaine for onward distribution to Europe and the US.
  • These connections facilitate the flow of illicit goods and services across borders.

State-Embedded Actors

Corruption and Bribery

  • State-embedded actors are not pervasive in Grenada, but isolated cases of corrupt practices and bribery linked to oil contracts have been identified.
  • Accusations of high-level corruption, fraud, and links to drug trafficking have raised serious doubts about the capacity and willingness of the state to tackle illegal markets.

Challenges in Combatting Corruption

  • The lack of effective anti-corruption measures and weak institutions hinders efforts to combat corruption and money laundering.
  • The country’s small size and limited resources exacerbate these challenges.

Criminal Justice and Security

Vulnerability to Trans-shipment

  • Grenada is vulnerable to trans-shipment of cocaine due to its geographic location in the Caribbean and proximity to South America.
  • This makes it an attractive transit point for cocaine smugglers.

Challenges Facing Law Enforcement

  • The Royal Grenada Police Force is the main law-enforcement agency, but it faces challenges in dealing with complex cases and has a high rate of pre-trial detention.
  • Limited resources and capacity hinder efforts to investigate and prosecute organized crime cases effectively.

Economic and Financial Environment

Money Laundering

  • Money laundering continues to be an issue due to drug trafficking being predominantly a cash business.
  • The lack of effective financial regulations and weak institutions facilitates money laundering activities.

Doing Business in Grenada

  • Doing business in the country is considered difficult due to poor access to credit, a heavy tax burden, and onerous property regulations.
  • This creates an environment that is conducive to organized crime and corruption.

Civil Society and Social Protection

Efforts to Protect Victims

  • The authorities have taken some steps to improve protection of victims, including setting up a special victims unit.
  • However, the effectiveness of these efforts is limited by resource constraints.

Challenges Facing Civil Society

  • Civil society is active, but its effectiveness is curbed by a lack of resources, which also affects journalists and media organizations.
  • The country’s small size and limited capacity hinder efforts to address organized crime effectively.